Simple Living means different things to different people. What we all have in common is that we are all trying to concentrate on what is important to us while eliminating those things which clutter our lives and take away from living. Please join us for the Simply Living Blog Carnival each month as we share our efforts to concentrate on those things that allow us to fully enjoy our lives. The blog carnival will occur monthly, with different themes each month. You can view the 2013 themes below.

To submit an article to the blog carnival, please e-mail your submission to mandy{at}livingpeacefullywithchildren{dot}com and anddelilahfineandfair{at}gmail{dot}com, and fill out the webform (a new webform will be posted on the call to submission post at all of the websites 7-10 days before the submission deadline). Please write a new, unpublished piece for the carnival. We will e-mail you with instructions before the carnival date. We ask that you wait to publish your piece until the actual carnival date. If you need help determining the link for your post in advance, please check out this post by Lauren at Hobo Mama.

We want you to use creativity and to express yourself as you see fit. To that end, you are welcome to post at your discretion with a few guidelines in mind. Please be respectful in your posts. Avoid excessive profanity and poor grammar or spelling. As the co-hosts of the carnival are all advocates of peaceful living and gentle parenting, we ask that you not post about non-gentle practices or violence toward others. While we will not be editing your articles, we do reserve the right to not add your post to the carnival if it is not on topic, is poorly written, or goes against the guidelines which have been set forth.

Blog carnivals are a great way to generate blog traffic and build a supportive community. Your blog will receive links from many other blogs and you and your readers will have the opportunity to discover other blogs with similar goals in mind. Please join us as we embrace Simply Living through Simple Living!

Upcoming Monthly Themes

January 2013: Simple Living Simple Living means something different to each person and family. We want to know how you, personally, define simple living for yourself and what that looks like in your life. Submission deadline: January 8. Carnival posting: January 15.

February 2013: New Beginnings It’s been a month since the New Year began, and for most that means that any new resolutions have gone by the wayside. Have you started something new in order to bring about a more simple lifestyle? What prompted you to look at simple living? Share one of your new beginnings with us. Submission deadline: February 12. Carnival posting: February 19.

March 2013: Clearing the Clutter Not all clutter is physical, but any type of clutter can get to us. Do you declutter on a regular basis? Have you cut back on activities to spend more time as a family? Did you struggle with letting go? Share with us your views on clutter and how you incorporate those views into your lives. Submission deadline: March 12. Carnival posting: March 19.

April 2013: Going Green Just as simple living and voluntary simplicity have become catch phrases, so too has the phrase going green. How do green practices affect your decisions? Do you find that your simple lifestyle is in tune with environmental issues? Perhaps you have a practice or product which simplifies your life. Submission deadline: April 9. Carnival posting: April 16.

May 2013: Daily Lives Everyday life can be hectic. Talk to us about how you keep everyday things from overwhelming you. Are you an organizer or declutterer? Do you avoid shopping like the plague? Perhaps you treat yourself to picking up dinner for your family sometimes. What in your daily life helps keep things simple? Submission deadline: May 14. Carnival posting: May 21.

June 2013: Around the House House work never seems to end. What tips and tricks have you figured out to help keep your home running smoothly? Help others simplify their homes and their lives. Submission deadline: June 11. Carnival posting: June 18.

July 2013: With Kids Despite what the media may have us believe, many families are finding that simplifying their lives is very important to keeping life with kids running smoothly. Many families are cutting back on the number of activities. Others are cutting back on the number of possessions. Still others are insanely organized. What does your family do in order to simplify your life with kids?Submission deadline: July 9. Carnival posting: July 16.

August 2013: Celebrations There are many events in our lives worthy of celebrating, but often times those celebrations get out of control to the point that we no longer enjoy them. Do you plan lovely simple parties? do you have family traditions that are extra special to you? How do you keep the sanity in celebrations? Submission deadline: August 13. Carnival posting: August 20.

September 2013: Money Matters Everyone seems to have a different financial system or ways to simplify their finances. Do you have great budget? Do you save money? Are you a thrifty spender? Do you outsource some things in order to simplify your life? We want to hear what money matters are important to you! Submission deadline: September 10. Carnival posting: September 17.

October 2013: Enjoyment What is life if we aren’t enjoying it? What do you do that you enjoy? Do you have hobbies or other things you love? How do you fit those things into your life? Tell us what you enjoy doing! Submission deadline: October 8. Carnival posting: October 15.

November 2013: Food Food and eating take up a portion of every one of our days. How do you view food in your version of simple living? Do you make everything from scratch? Do you go for easy to make items? Do you eat out a lot or have a food swap with others? Do you plan menus or have specific meals on certain days? Perhaps you are struggling with food allergies or budget constraints. Are you feeding a large family? Perhaps you have a favorite recipe that simplifies your life. Share with us how you simplify food. Submission deadline: November 12. Carnival posting: November 19.

December 2013: Gift Giving Gift giving is the cause of much stress for many families. Some families make handmade gifts while others find it more simple to purchase items. Gift exchanges and drawing names add more gifts to find, and budget often plays a part for many families. What do you do to keep gift giving simple? Submission deadline: December 10. Carnival posting: December 17.

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